It’s the beginning of the wine social season if you will — Premiere Napa Valley. This past weekend trade and media descended on the valley to taste special barrel lots created by Napa Valley winemakers that are auctioned off on Saturday afternoon. It’s a chance to meet the winemakers and owners, and to network within […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Conn Creek Winey in Napa Valley has a cool program where you get hands-on experience blending wine. It takes place it their AVA Room (American Viticulture Areas), where you step into the role of winemaker as you sample 15 single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wines straight from the barrel. These 15 wines are all from the […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
What can you say about vintner Dario Sattui? He’s full of passion, whether he’s talking about wine, or his castle winery, Castillo di Amorosa. Listening to his story at an event to mark the 125th anniversay of V. Sattui, he just comes alive telling his most improbable story of how he made it in the wine industry. Suffice it to say he went from sleeping in his car to running the wildly successful winery in St. Helena. He’s done it his way, from selling direct to consumers, to building on the east side of Hwy 29 so that it’s an easy right turn off as visitors drive through Napa Valley. He would even pay customers to sit at the picnic tables to entice people to stop in at the winery. He doesn’t have to do that now. Most of all, Sattui’s story is inspirational, and after listening to him talk, you feel anything is possible too.
Here’s a clip from the story we did on Sattui and his castle on In Wine Country
Last week I was at two wineries who have taken the wine tasting experience outside. What a great alternative to the crowded, standing room only, traditional winery tasting bars. Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford is one of the most beautiful places in Napa Valley. They are organic and sustainable, and the ground around the winery […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
I am really excited about the new tasting room about to open at Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley. Sure, they’re known for Merlot, and for the elegant Salon wine tasting experience. That’s an intimate sit down tasting, paired with caviar and chocolates. Super luxe, right? But it’s also limited to groups of 8, a couple […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Recession worries seemed to fade as wine lovers opened their wallets and raised paddles bidding up the prices at the 30th Auction Napa Valley, held over this past weekend. There was lots of good food and great wine flowing throughout the event. I went to the Taste Napa Valley and Barrel Auction on Friday, at […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
This may be the winery tasting room opening of the year. Raymond Vineyards, in Napa Valley, has partnered with the legendary French crystal maker Baccarat, to create a one-of-a-kind tasting room, the Crystal Cellar. It’s pretty awesome. Granted, I was at the soiree to celebrate opening the Crystal Cellar. The atmosphere was like a sophisticated […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
I’ve been on at least a dozen girls weekends. The destinations are always great: New York, Palm Springs, Chicago, Miami, the North Carolina mountains. But I’d not done a girls trip to Napa Valley wine country. I’m not talking over the top 5-star accommodations and 3 star Michelin restaurants; we were more budget minded (we’d rather have money for shopping). We ate and drank well, and even found a nice place to stay that was less than $200 per night (thanks Priceline!)
You probably don’t think of downtown Napa as a destination for style or shopping. People used to bypass Napa on their way to winery tasting rooms and St. Helena. Well things have changed. Now Napa is a must stop for great dining, wine tasting and shopping. Read more
As December comes to a close we’re all reflecting back on the year that has been 2011. Although we’re still going through challenging economic times, spirits of the vintners throughout wine country seem to be rising, as sales are slowly picking up. There’s a feeling of hope and optimism that I haven’t seen in a long time. So keeping that positive state of mind, here are my top 10 wine moments of 2011. Read more
Several times a year I’m asked by friends and family for recommendations on where to go when they visit Napa Valley. In addition to wineries I think they’ll like, I also include ones with interesting architecture and must see art galleries. That list usually includes The Hess Collection for its impressive display of contemporary art, Mumm Napa for the Ansel Adams photo gallery and Ma(i)sonry for the eclectic mix of art, decorative home items and lineup of Blackbird wines and more.
It’s nice to have options that don’t always include wine. You can only sample so much wine in a day, and it’s good to have a break. If you don’t drink wine at all, you may feel left out. Fortunately there’s more art in Napa Valley than even I knew was on view. Read more
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